Switch-socket for electric lamps.



R. B. BENJAMIN. 4 SWlTOH SOCKET FOR ELECTRIC LAMPS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 28, 1909` l., Patented. May wb2.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

R. B. B'ENJAMN. SWITCH SOCKET FOR- ELECTRIG LAMPS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 28, 1909. ggg? Pai-,mm May Y, ww.

2 nsmsmm 2.

L. aras BEIGE RE'UBEN B. BENJAMIN, OF HICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TOWBENJAMIN ELC- TRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION ananas?.

To all whom. t may concern lle it known that I, RnUnnN B. BENJAMIN, a citizen of the United' States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook `and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful -cImprovement/s in Switch-Sockets for Electric Lamps, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and Yexact description7 reference being had to the accompanying draw ltl ing, forming a part of 'this specification.

rthis invention relates to improvements in sockets for receiving and supporting electric lamps, the principal object of the invention being the simplication and improvement of the switch mechanism. 'l

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a front elevational View of the device; Fig. 2 is a 'bottom plan view, looking into the lamp-holding sleeve; Fig. 3 is a top plan. with the cap removed to afford access to the` binding terminals; Fig. 4 is a bottom plan vicw with the lamp-holding sleeve and casing'omitted; Fi 5 shows a vertical section taken on lthe line 5-5 ofFigs. 1 and 2 looking ih the direction of the arrows; Fig. 6 is a vetical sectional view, the casing be ing omitted and the section being taken on the line 6-"6 of Fig. 4 looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional view illustrating the switch mechanism7 the section being taken on the line 7-7 of Figzl looking in the direction ot the arrows, the switch being open; Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7, butv shows the switch' closed; and Fig. 9 showysa section taken on the line 9--9 of Fig. 4 lopking inthe direc- .L t tion of the ari ows.

In these several figures, in which like reff erence numerals indicate the same parts throughout, 10 is a base of porcelain-'or other insulating material, on the lower side ofl which is secured a threaded lamp-receiving shell 11, the base being formed with a chamber 12 in which is located the switch mechanism. A `easing shell is provided and is made in two parts 13 and 14, the part 13 being tubular and having a portion 15 bf en# larged diameter, while the `part 14 consists of, a cap arranged to telescope over the larger end 15 of the tubular Ipart. 3 The por- -eelain base 10 isdisposed'witliin the enlarged portion 15 lof the 'tubular 4, member i of the casing, the threaded lamp-receiving l shell 11 extending downward into the 25 smaller portion. of this tubular member.

face of the base,

SWITCH-SOCKET FOR ELECTRIC IMIIVIFS.`

Patented Way 7, 1912.

The invention is shown as applied. to what is usually termed an angle socket, that is, a socketin which the bushingby means of which the device is supported extends at an angle with the of the lamp-holding shell instead of, as is more often the case, being a'rrangedto extend ,in line therewith, It is, however, to be understood that the particular form of switch mechanism, aswell as some of the other features claimed in. this application, may be applied as well to the ordinarystraight socket; f

The angle socket casing herein' shown is providedvwith a square embossment 16 extending laterally from the side of the tubular member of the casing, and to this embossment `is secured the supporting vbushing 17. The cap 14 has its edge cut away at 18 `to accommodate the embossment 1G when the cap is placed in position.

An insulating disk 19,v formed of vulcanized fiber or the like, lies in the bottom of the cup-shaped threaded lamp-receiving shell 11, andftlirough this disk and a similar disk 20 of mica extend a pair of secur` ing screws ,21 and 22, these serewshaving their heads sunk in depressions provided for that purpose in the upper side of theinsulating'base. Suitable nuts 21a and 22 are pro vided upon the lower ends of the screws21 and 22, the screws and nuts thus serving to retain the' threaded shell in position on the base. llhecavity 12 in the lower side of the base thus has its open lower side closed by the bottom of the cup-shaped lamp-receiving shell, so that a chamber for the switch i mechanism isl formed, the lower side of ywhich is the 1inet-al oi the lanip-receiving shell The center contact for engagement with the inner terminal o1 the lamp consists of a Z-sh'aped plate 23 having an enlarged portion at one end so locatedv as tc engage the inner terminal of the lamp, while its opposite end is clamped under the head of a screw 24e and thereby brought into electrical 100 communication with a binding plate 25 on the upper side of gthe base, which plate 25 carries a binding screw 2G. The plate 25 is depressed below the level of the upper surfrom which leo ds ,a channel 27 extending to a notch 28 formed in the edge of the base and' located in line with the outlet bushing 17, in order that 'a feed wire leading into the device. and attached to the binding 110 being located in a cavityl A screw 2G may be acc(unmodated. Leading Athe holding screw 32. The plate 33 has its free -end 35 provided with a lateral extension 36 on each side thereof, as clearly shown in Figs. 7 and 8. A bridge block 37 is arranged to span the space between the shell ll and the resilient free end of the plate B4, when turned to the on position as shown in Fig. 8, and thus complete the circuit fby establishing communication between -theshell ll and the binding screw 31. For turning theA bridge block 37 to the on or oti'position as desired there is provided a key 38` Whichis mounted on a shaft 39, t-he -shank 40 of the lkey being inserted through an opening provided for that purpose in the side of the tubular casing'shell. The bridge block 37 is provided with a slot ot' peculiar form in which Work a pair ot wing-like extensions fil, etl projecting latorally from opposite sides of the shaft 39.

Heretofore in switch mechanism adapted for use in incandescent lamp sockets it has sometimes been provided that the bridge block should span t-he space between two spring contacts both of which have movement toward and away from the shaft on which is mounted the bridge block. In such cases the bridge block is not arranged to have longitudinal or other bodily movement on the shaft, but is usually adapted to have some turning movement with respect to the shaii't so that there is a certain amount et lost .motion between the sliattand the bridge block. This lost motion is provided for in ord cr that the movement of the4 bridge block in opening the switch will be delayed until the key has been turned far enough to positively move the switch block, whereupon the block will7 after passing a certain point, snap ofi' witha sudden forward movement and break the circuit with sufiicient quickness to prevent destructive sparking. ln other cases the switch block has been 'made to span the .space between a fixed Contact and a yielding one, as in the present device,- but in such a case it becomes necessary to permit the block to have a certain amount of movement other than rotary. This movenufnt. has formerly been provided for by' mounting the switch shaitt or spindle in an elongated. bearing` at the end thereof which was nearest the bridge block, or by providing elongated bearings at both xends of the shaft. in the present device the bearings for theI shaft "9 are provided in the plate il by forming an aperture through an upturned end 42 on the plate Si and a similar aperture through the part 43 of the plate Ii-lwhich connects the tree end withtlie stationary part of said plate. The necessary cndwise movement of the block 37 is provided tor by elongating the opening in the block iii which the shaftI works. lVere this opening simply a slot ot uniform' width and ot substantially the same width as the diameter of the shaft there wouldnot be a sutiicient amount of lost motion between the shaft and the block unless the shaft were given an nndesirably large diameter. Fm'tlnrmore, and of greater importance, if the block worked over on the shaft so that the end o.t` the projection il approached or engagedthe end ot the slot there would be a tendency for the block to stick when it was attempted to turn the switch from the ott to the on position. By the forn'iation which I have adopted for this slot, and shown in the drawings of this application, a tendency is given the block to return to middle position when the shaft is revolved to close the switch. rlhis slot has in outline the torni ot two circles tangent to each other or slightly overlapping, connected by a straightportion having a width substantially equal to the diameter oit the shaft. moved over so that the end of the projection 4l engages the end of the slot, and suppose the Switch to be open. It, now, the key be turned to close the switch, the end ot the projection will engage the curved end of the Slot and will exert a cam-like effect which results in the movement of the block longitudinally in the direction to center the same on the shaft.

By forming the opening in the bridge block as an elongated slot and curving the ends oi this slot I am enabled to employ a very simple construction for the other parts oi the mechanism. It will be observed that t-he switch mechanism of this socket is extremely simple and can be economically manufactured.

Having thus described my invention, what claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

J Suppose the block to be l. The combination with a base having acavity therein; a plate in said cavity, said plate having an upturned lug at each end and one of said lugs havinga spring extension projecting over said plate normally pa 'allel therewith; said extension fornnng a switch contact; a second switch contact; a shaft rockably mounted in said lugs; a bridge plug carried by said shaft and arranged to make connection between said switch contacts upon movement ot the shaft g and means tor imparting the requisite movement to said shaft.

. The con'ibinat'io.` ot a base having a cavity in the lower side thereof; e lamp-receiving shellseeured to said base so as to close the lower side of Seid cavity; ,a plate in said cavity, said plate having un upturned lug` at eeoh end, and one of said lugs having` n spring extension project-ing over Said pla/te normally parallel therewith, said extension forming a' switch Contact; a shaft roelmloly mounted in said lugs, a bridge plug carried by said shaft and arranged4 to make connection between said extension and said lamp-receiving shell upon movement of said shaft; and means for imparting the requisite movement to said shaft.

3. The combination of a base'hnving a. cavity in the lower side thereof; a. lamp-receiving shell secured to the lower side of seid oase and closing the lowerend of said .cavityg n binding terminal upon the other und one of said lugs having a spring extenl sion projecting over said plate normally. parallel therewith, said extension forming a switch Contact; a shaft rockably mounted in said lugs; a bridge plug carried by said shaft and arranged to make connection between leai-d'shell and. said extension upon movement of the shaft; and means for 1mparting the requisitemovernent to the shaft.

-In witness whereof, I have' hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two Witnesses. y

REUBEN B. BENJAMIN.

Witnesses:

CHARLES Gr. COPE, `CHARLES. L. HOPKINS. 

